


Wait This Isn't How Secret Santas Work

by animepseud (multipurposeroom)



Category: One Piece
Genre: Christmas, Christmas CRISIS, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21952378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multipurposeroom/pseuds/animepseud
Summary: Roronoa Zoro doesn't seem to get this "festive season". You try to teach him the joys of Christmas. He teaches you the joys of simplicity. Fluff.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	Wait This Isn't How Secret Santas Work

In the lead-up to Christmas you had sat the crew down to explain festive season in your world. Secret Santas, gift-giving, massive feasts. The crew threw themselves into attempting this "Christmas", frantically shopping for presents and finding the closest poultry to "turkey". Sunny Go buzzed with the Straw Hats' yuletide cheer, all except one person:

Your boyfriend.

Your lover? Your boytoy? Your man-you-were-sharing-nighttime-activities-with-if-you-know-what-I-mean? They didn't really do labels in One Piece. People were either married, not together, or nothing. Everything in between the two extremes fell into an unspoken abyss. You and Zoro fell in that category, you supposed.

Either way, Zoro just wasn't interested in the joys of Christmas time. Swords and alcohol didn't play that crucial a role in the festivities, and going shopping for gifts just seemed like a recipe for never seeing Zoro again. 

You couldn't get over this. Christmas with your family back home was always a grand affair. Tables and tables full of juicy turkey and roasted potatoes and all the pies you could imagine, elves, golden baubles, warm twinkling lights on the massive tree filling the room with its piney scent, and the gifts! Mountains and mountains of colourfully wrapped presents! The grandeur! The whimsy! How could someone not love Christmas?!

Naturally, you decided some brainwashing was needed.

One night you nestled on the deck amongst cosy blankets surrounded with books and diagrams of yuletide traditions as Zoro leaned against the mast, pretending to sleep. He knew this game. This was week two of Christmas Class, and nothing he'd heard so far had impressed him. Undeterred, you began by flipping through a particularly hefty volume of winter treats.

"There's cake with alcohol in it! You like brandy."

A non-committal hum arose from the man who once rejected a red bean mochi for "not being salty enough". You mentally cancelled sweets off the list.

"There's turkey carving, big knife! Cheese biscuits, love those. The potentiality of someone giving you a weapon as a gift..." you listed, counting off your fingers. "And there's Christmas stockings."

Interest suddenly piqued, Zoro cracked open an eye. That one night's lesson on your hometown made one thing clear, at least: he really liked fishnets on you. And off you. Mostly off you. You blushed at the memory.

"Not that kind of stocking."

The eye returned shut. "What's the point then," he muttered.

You sighed and snapped the heavy book shut.

"Well, I love Christmas." Disappointed, you got up from your perch. "I just thought I could make you love it too."

Zoro's good eye watched as you packed up your supplies.

Christmas Eve. Fire crackled cheerily in the makeshift fireplace, courtesy of Usopp's tinkering. The crew sat excitedly in a circle, stomachs full of food and eyes full of anticipation, ready for the gift exchange. As per the sacred rules of Secret Santa, everyone held onto a gift meant for an undisclosed someone. Luffy's was loosely wrapped in newspaper and held together with a mess of tangled yarn, smeared with sauce. A leaf was stuck to the side. It was unclear if the leaf was decorative foilage or an accidental passenger. You hoped the gift was decent.

"Hey, where's Zoro?" piped up Chopper.

Everyone took cursory looks around them. Where _was_ Zoro? Ominously, a distant explosion went off in the nearby town, rumbling the sand under your feet. Uh oh.

Luffy cackled. He cracked his knuckles. "Let's go then!"

What greeted the crew at the centre of the town was a sight to behold. Talk about a Christmas crisis. A towering inferno engulfed the capitol building, flames licking at the facade like a customer with an ice cream sample. Even from where you stood the heat seemed to scorch your eyebrows. 

Frantic townspeople armed with buckets rushed around, trying to put out the fire. It was a losing battle. The measly amounts of water merely doused the very edges of the fiery wall. Luckily, the capitol building was a freestanding structure, and it didn't seem like the surrounding homes or shops would be affected. 

Still, the crew jumped into action. Franky got to work trying to channel water from the well. Chopper begun throwing together a medical centre with what supplies and personnel he could gather. Robin formed arm chains to speed up the bucket firefighting process.

Luffy stopped a passing townsperson with a rubbery arm. "Is anyone trapped up there?" he asked.

She shook her head, readjusting the grip on her bucket. "A few people were working late in the building but a swordsman went and got them out." 

A swordsman? It wasn't Zoro, was it? You and Luffy exchanged glances. At your concerned expressions, she elaborated.

"He had green hair and a scar over one eye." 

Sounded like Zoro.

She cast a worried look at the fire. "I think he might still be in there. He got lost the first few times."

Definitely Zoro.

You and Luffy immediately started for the burning building. Grabbing a blanket from Chopper's station, you dunked it in water before throwing it over the both of you, with nary a pause in your step. A hand grabbed at your shoulder. Nami.

"Hold on! He's out, look!" Her outstretched arm gestured at the entrance, where a familiar figure trudged out, arm supporting a limping man. Acrid smoke billowed out the windows, obscuring your vision, but that gait was unmistakable. Ignoring Nami's cries, you sprinted toward him.

Zoro spotted the both of you pretty quickly, since you were the only two maniacs making a run _for_ the fire instead of from it. 

He offloaded the limping man onto Luffy. "He's the last one," Zoro coughed.

"It's hot!" Luffy complained.

Zoro nodded sagely as you looked at the wall of flames and back at Luffy, incredulous.

Luffy did not notice your judgment, running off to Chopper's makeshift clinic with the civilian in his arms bridal carry style. Shaking his head, Zoro took your proffered shoulder and together you plodded after Luffy. You should probably get Zoro to the centre too. Who knew how much smoke he'd inhaled?

With a couple steps from the clinic, Zoro stopped. You glanced up at him in alarm. He dug around in a pocket you didn't realise he had. 

A little bag emerged. What's this? You shot him a curious look.

"Merry Christmas."

He deposited the extremely warm bag in your hands. A Christmas present? Inside the small bag were.. cheese biscuits! No one sold these out here. He had them specially made? Probably getting lost in the process? Though he didn't like Christmas??? Tears welling up in your eyes, you looked up to see a mildly uncertain expression on his handsome face. You should probably say something.

Clearing your throat, you dabbed at your eyes in an attempt to stem the tears. You held the heated bag to your chest. "I love it, thank you!"

Zoro broke into a smile, ruffling your hair. He looked pleased with himself.

"I thought you didn't like Christmas," you sniffed.

"You love it, and..." His hand continued to rest atop your head. He hesitated. Zoro nodded awkwardly to end the sentence, as if a nod was a valid form of punctuation. Your head received one last pat before he retracted his hand. 

Fondness for him filled your heart. What a manly loser. You decided that it was in line with the Christmas spirit to mess with him.

"And what?" you beamed innocently, rocking on the balls of your feet.

Zoro did not take kindly to your clear teasing. He stared at you, unamused.

Oh, fine. Giving in, you rushed him for a hug. Muscular arms returned the gesture, and you felt a cheek brush against your hair.

"And you love me?" you attempted once more.

"Mm." An affirmative nod grazed against your head.

You hugged him closer. Good enough for you.

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno I was just sort of like "what if I did a Christmas thing" and then wrote the entire thing around the stocking joke ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Happy holidays.


End file.
